


Broken Trust

by TheOfficialKai517



Category: Tangled (2010), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-01-14 14:22:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18478048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOfficialKai517/pseuds/TheOfficialKai517
Summary: "You have to be careful who you trust."When would Rapunzel ever learn?





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished watching the season two finale for "Tangled: the Series" and honestly... I need to let off some steam.
> 
> This will include spoilers for the season finales for both seasons one and two, and, if you haven't watched the original "Tangled" movie (if that's the case, go watch it right freaking now, okay?), a spoiler for that.
> 
> Do not read the chapter titles if you don't want spoilers; these all go in backwards chronological order, so...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief introduction of sorts to this piece.

Rapunzel gaped at the woman standing in front of her. Cassandra... Cass was supposed to be her  _friend._ What had gone wrong over the course of time?

She knew that she'd been the one that Cass blamed for what happened to her hand, but sometimes... Sometimes Rapunzel had to do things on her own, without having to explain everything. At least, not until all was said and done.

_You've got to be careful who you trust._

Cassandra's warning echoed out in her mind.  _Be careful who you trust. Be careful who you trust. Be careful who you trust..._

When would she ever learn?

Yes, the world wasn't as bad as Gothel had painted it out to be. But still... It wasn't all light. After all, Rapunzel had somehow found a way to find the shadows in nearly everything. She had been fortunate enough to survive, but still... She kept making the same mistake.

Why?


	2. Cassandra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Cynical."  
> The perfect word for Cassandra, wouldn't you think?
> 
> ('Believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity.')

The words had been hers. She had been the first one to tell Rapunzel that she should be careful who she trusted.

And she had just thought that it was Cassandra being cynical.

Little had she known.

There had been no reason for Rapunzel to doubt Cassandra, to stop trusting her. Cass had always been there for her, someone to depend upon and trust. They had been  _friends._ This was not something that friends did. She was naive, but she knew  _that_ much.

As she stared at what her best friend had become, she frowned.

_Where had she gone wrong this time?!_


	3. Varian

She had considered Varian to be a friend.

Granted, they'd only had a few encounters before the Great Storm, but still. Rapunzel had never met a stranger before, Varian included.

Then the Great Storm happened. While no major harm had been done to Corona itself, the Storm had caused a major rift in Rapunzel's relationship with Varian.

She felt guilty about it every time that she thought of it, and  _still_ she had done nothing. She had taken no actions to make sure that he was okay afterwards, or to see if she  _could_ help.

And that had led to trouble.

Kidnapping. Treason. Near murder.

The anger and heartbreak of a young teenager was nearly enough to bring the kingdom to its knees. And still she had done nothing but watch. Not until the very end.


	4. Gothel

The first time that Rapunzel had been betrayed, it was a complete and utter surprise. She was too innocent and naive, as Gothel had often chided her. She had no idea of the world beyond the tower... Or the world that Gothel had created  _within_ the tower.

She had only known one person all her life; of course she would trust the woman who called Rapunzel her daughter.

And then she had ventured outside. She had dared to experience life outside the confines of her tower... And she realized that Gothel had been wrong.

That should have been the first sign, when she had helped all of the thugs at the Snuggly Duckling to fully realize their dreams.

And yet she still blindly trusted her 'mother.'

It wasn't until it was nearly too late that she finally realized that she had been tricked. All of her life... She had been living a lie.

When she finally  _did_ realize, she swore to herself that she'd never let it happen again. She was stronger now.

How wrong could one woman be?


End file.
